Water-emulsion polish composition



United States Patent OfiFice 3,028,350 WATER-EMULSION POLISH COMPOSITION Arthur G. Hirsch, Dyer, Ind., assignor to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Indiana N Drawing. Filed Nov. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 853,713 7 Claims. (Cl. 260-28) This invention relates to wax-type polishes and par ticularly to water emulsion polish compositions.

Today, wax protective coatings for surfaces such as wood flooring, asphalt tile, and the like, are frequently applied in the form of a dispersion of wax particles in water. In the art these water compositions are referred to as water emulsion polishes. Water emulsion polishes containing only wax, emulsifier and water tend to have poor leveling properties, only fair gloss. Mixtures of wax and other compounds, particularly shellac, have been introduced in order to provide better spreading and leveling characteristics along with better gloss. The shellac containing water emulsion polishes have the disability of inferior color and after prolonged standing are very difficult to remove from the coated surface.

An object of the invention is a water emulsion polish composition aifording leveling and gloss characteristics better than ordinary Wax Water emulsion polishes. Another object is a water emulsion polish providing excellent leveling and spreading and othercharacteristics of the surface coating. A particular object is a water emulsion polish whose color is as good or better than ordinary wax water emulsion polish. A further object is a water emulsion polish of good water resistance and with good removability characteristics with respect to soapy water washing. Yet another object is a water emulsion polish composition afiording only a moderate amount of slipperiness in the surface coating obtained therefrom. Other objects will become apparent in the course of the detailed description of the invention.

The water emulsion polish composition of the invention consists essentially of wax, solid resin, emulsifier and water. The wax and the resin are present in the composition in a weight ratio of waxzresin from about 90:10 to about 20:80. The composition itself has a pH of at least 7. The solid resin utilized in the composition of the invention is the condensation reaction product of trimellitic anhydride and alkylene oxide having 2-4 carbon atoms and the resin is characterized by an Acid No. from at least about 30 to about 170.

The resin component of the invention is prepared by reacting trimellitic anhydride and an alkylene oxide having 2-4 carbon atoms, in desired proportions in the presence of an alkaline catalyst at a temperature between about 20 C. and about 200 C. It is preferred to employ a reaction temperature below about 120 C. in order to avoid cross-linking and gelling. As catalysts there may be employed inorganic or organic bases such as alkali metal hydroxide, calcium oxide, sodium amide, secondary amines such as diethylamine, dibutylamine, piperidine and the like and tertiary amines such as trimethylamine, t-riethanolamine, pyridine and the like. Amines are preferred and are used usually in an amount of about 0.1% to about 5% based on the weight of trimellitic anhydride. Suitably, the reaction is efiected during a period of 224 hours, more commonly 2-8 hours.

Although, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and the various butylene oxides are all suitable reactants in the preparation of the resin, propylene oxide is the preferred oxide reactant.

The trimellitic anhydride and alkylene oxide are reacted in proportions such that the solid resin product has an Acid No. (mg. of KOH per gram of resin) from at least about 30 to about 170. Solid resin having an Acid No.

from about 50 to about 90 is particularly preferred for the preparation of superior quality surface coatings. :The

Q 20:80. Particularly good results are obtained when the weight ratio is from about 80:20 to about 60:40.

The Wax component is any one that is ordinarily used on floor coverings such as wood and asphalt tile and other materials wherein water emulsion polishes are suitable and may be a vegetable wax, a mineral wax, an oxidized mineral wax and mixturesof two or more of these waxes. Outstandingly good properties are obtained when the wax component is carnauba wax.

It is necessary to provide an emulsifier to maintain a stable dispersion of the wax in the water emulsion polish composition. These emulsifiers may be any of those commonly used in the preparation of these compositions,

such as -ammonia, borax, ethanol, amine, morpholine, sodium oleate, and other fatty acid reaction products with amines or 'alkanolamines.

The solids content of the water emulsion polish composition of the invention is stated hereinafter. as thesum total of the wax present and solid resin present and is generally from about 6 to about 18 percent per weight of the compsition. More usually, the total of thewax and resin present is from about 9 to about 15 weight percent of the composition.

Suflicient emulsifier is present to afford a storage stable composition. For example, the composition may contain between about l-3 weight percent of an emulsifier such as morpholine oleate.

The wax, resin, emulsifier and alkaline affording material are not the only materials which may be present, in addition to the water. Other materials may be added to improve gloss or to reduce slipperiness, etc. Thus the composition contains the defined wax, the defined solid resin, emulsifier, alkaline affording material and the remainder essentially water. r

In order to afford storage stability of the water emulsion polish composition, the invention is adjusted to a pH of at least 7 and more usually to a pH from about 7.5 to about 10.

The .final water emulsion polish composition of the invention is normally prepared by making a water emulsion of the wax portion and a water solution of the resin portion, separately, and then mixing the two to provide the final composition. It is possible to prepare the final composition by utilizing aqueous resin solution in connection with the preparation of the water emulsion of the Wax component and then diluting, if necessary, to the final desired water content.

RESIN ILLUSTRATIONS Two solid resins suitable for use in the invention are illustrated in the method of preparation and the final resin characteristics hereinbelow. In the illustrative resins the reactants were trimellitic anhydride and propylene oxide. In each preparation the catalyst was pyridine and was used in an amount of 0.5 ml.

' The reaction vessel was a three-necked flask provided a stirrer, "a condenser and a thermometer. The reactants were at 'room temperature before addition to the flask. The condensation reaction is exothermic and the temperature of the contents of the flask rose over a period of about two hours to about 50 C. The reaction Patented Apr. 3, 1962 3 product in the flask became very viscous after about two hours. The reaction was continued until the Acid No. became essentially constant; in these instances, in about 8-24'hours. These materials were so viscous that they lightly with a soft bristle brush. Good indicates complete removal of the film on rinsing with 120 F. tap water.

The results of the testing of the four compositions are can be considered as solids. set out in the annexed table.

TABLE Leveling Hardness Slip Water Remov- Composition and Gloss is Resisce Resisce ability Spreading hardest) (1-least (1 hr.)

slippery) 100%Wax Base Poor Fair 4 2 Good--. Fair. 30% Wax Base+% Shellac Excellent Good--- 2 3 Good..- Good. 80% Wax Base 20% A soln Fair Good 1 3 Fair Good. 80% Wax Base 20% B soln Excellent Good-" 3 1 Good.-- Good.

Resin A The coating results show that the Wax base-resin con- Resin A was prepared by reacting 0.5 mole of the tlatilnmg compositions are better than the wax base alone. hydride and 1.0 mole of the oxide. The product resin 0 e waxresm B composl'tlon 15 at least as good as had molecular weight of 1040. The Hydroxyl Number W base-Shellac comp9sltwna p was 85 (mg. KOH to neutralize the acetic acid released t1n cat1ng5 were notlceably lighter 111 0 101 t an the from one gram of acetylated sample). The Acid N coatings from wax alone, or from the wax-shellac polish. was 168. The color of the resin solutions and the shellac solu- R si B tions were further compared. Strips of filter paper soaked Resin B was prepared by reacting 0.5 mole of the an- 12% and f g? hydride with 1.25 moles of the oxide. The resin product P Y 111 F 8 e ac stnps. e had a molecular Weight of 2100 The HydrOXy1No was resins films dried to a slight off-white color, whereas the The Acid was shilltac dr etci1 iota zlf lltllwficolor. Colors of the 12% resin so u ions 1n ica e is 1 erence: ILLUSTRATIVE POLISH COMPOSITIONS Gardner (1933) color Illustrative polish compositions were made by utilizing 12% solution of resin A 04 as the wax affording component a commercialwax emul- 12% solution or Resin B 1 sion containing 12 percent of Wax sohds Whlch were a 5 12% solution of shellac 13-14 mixture of carnauba wax and high melting parafiin wax.

This wax base contained an ethanolamine emulsifier. Thus having describing the invention what is claimed: Twelve percent solutions of resins A and B, respec- 1. A water-emulsion polish composition consisting estively, were prepared by stirring each solid in ammonia sentially of wax, a solid resin, emulsifier and water, said water at about 70-80 C. until a solution was obtained wax and said resin being present in a Weight ratio from having a pH of 9. The water solut1ons of reslns A a about 90:10 to about 20:80 and where said resin is the p ve y, w e cooled. o room temperature condensation reaction product of trimellitic anhydride and 805311611308 :olutrona cgrgtangnciig 120113033: igczgi t s alkylene oxide having 2-4 carbon atoms and is charactera P I mg P P r ized by an Acid No. from at least about 30 to about our water emulsion polish compositions were made 170 Said poll-Sh having a PH of at least 7 available for the coating of asphalt tiles. Composition 2. The polish of claim 1 wherein said wax and said one was the commercial Water emulsion wax pol1sh--hereresin total from abo t 6 t b 18 inafter spoken of as the wax base. Composition two said com o u 0 3 out welght Percent of consisted of a mixture of 80 weight percent of the wax 3 3 1 base and 20 percent of the shellac solution. Composi- ,5 P0 15 of c 1 Wherem sald OXlde 1S P py tion three consisted of 80 percent of wax base and 20 ene OX1 percent of resin A solution. Composition four con- The Pollsh 0f Claim 1 Wherem ald resin has an sisted of 80 percent of the wax base and 20 percent of Acld m about 50 to o t 90. reSinB Solution- 5. The polish of claim 1 wherein said ratio is from These four compositions were applied under regular about 30120 to abo t 60:40. test procedures to asphalt tiles and the following observa- 6- T e polish of claim 1 wherein said wax is carnauba trons made on the coating as it was being applied and on wax. the coating after it had dried; the ability of the coating 7. A water-emulsion polish composition consisting of a to spread out and to avoid patches of diflerent th1ckness wax selected from the group consisting of vegetable wax, n leveling Was Observed the Coating WIjIS P the mineral Wax, oxidized mineral Wax and mixtures thereof, The gloss of the coatlng Was detemfmed as dried solid resin product of the condensation reaction of triwithout bufling. The hardness of the coating was determelletic anhydride and propylene oxide which resin is mllled by relatlve tests rangmg from 1 to 4 wherein a characterized by an Acid No. from about 50 to about rating of one was the hardest observed coating. The re- 90 Said Wax and said rcsm being present in a weight ratio sistance of the coating to sllpperiness is also determined from about 80 20 to about 60 4O and in tot 1 f fr by relative tests wherein a rating of one indicates the least h i a o degree of slipperiness about 9 to about 15 weig t percent of said composition,

Water resistance checks consisted of placing 1 ml. of emulslfisr alkaglzmgbagent to Pmvlde POmPOSmOHPH water on the finishes 24 hours after drying, allowing this from 3 out to 3 out 10 and the remamder essentlany to stand for one hour, wiping the panel dry, waiting onewaterhalf hour, and then bufiing the panel lightly. Good indi- 7 cates no water damage.

Removability checks were conducted by drying the finishes for 48 hours, soaking the panels in a water solution of 0.25% ammonium hydroxide (28%) and 0.25% Ivory soap flakes at 120 F. for five minutes and brushing References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,483,701 Hawley et al. Oct. 4, 1949 

1. A WATER-EMULSION POLISH COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF WAX, A SOLID RESIN, EMULSIFIER AND WATER, SAID WAX AND SAID RESIN BEING PRESENT IN A WEIGHT RATIO FROM ABOUT 90:10 TO ABOUT 20:80 AND WHERE SAID RESIN IS THE CONDENSATION REACTION PRODUCT OF TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE AND ALKYLENE OXIDE HAVING 2-4 CARBON ATOMS AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY AN ACID NO. FROM AT LEAST ABOUT 30 TO ABOUT 170, SAID POLISH HAVING A PH OF AT LEAST
 7. 